Shell-fuse.



EMIL A. CLAUS, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHELL-FUSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented aan@ c, wie.

Apvplicaton filed August 24, 1915. Serial No. 47,069.

To all yww/m it 'may mmv/rn.

Be it known that I, EMIL A. CLAUS, a citizen of the United States, and 4a resident of the city of New York. borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Shell-Fuse, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to combination fuses.

An object thereof is to provide a simple,

inexpensive and efficient fuse the detonation of' which is accomplished either by the firing of a time fuse or by the` impact of the shell or projectile with which the fuse is provided.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple rand etiective combination fuse or projectile which will allow the same to be handled with safety and insure to the shell when it is red certain detonation of the explosive charge at a predetermined time or upon impact of the shell.

lith the vabove and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts as herein fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming partotl the application, similar characters of' reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a shell or projectile provided with a fuse embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the shell; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3, Fig. 1; Fig. -1 is a. similar section on line 4 4, Fig, 1; Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 5 5, Fig. 1; Fig. G is a similar section on line (5 6, 1; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the frangible strip.

Referring to the drawings, 8 represents` a. housing of thev shell, into the front end of which a bushing 9 is threaded. The bushing 9 has uniformly spaced bores 1U, the axes of which are parallel with the axis of the bushing. The bores 10 are open at the top of the bushingwherethrough a. priming cap 11 can be introduced. into each bore and secured to the bottom of the bore by any suitable means, as shown, by a clamping ring 12 which wedges the cap to the walls of the bore at the bottom thereof. U-shapcd, frangible strips 13 'are suspended from the top of' the bushing into each bore. The ends of the frangible strips are bent laterally torest on the top of the vbaishing, so that the bottom of' each strip is spaced from the priming cap 11 located at the bottom of the bore. A firing pin 14 is provided in each of the bores. The ridges 15 of thc pin maintain the same concentric with the bore. The ridges of the pin engage the bottom of the frangible strip 13, with the pointed end 1G of the pin projecting through the bottom.

A headed ignition sleeve 17 is secured to the bushing 9 b v a retaining flanged nipple 18. A fuse ring 19 is rotatably mounted on the ignition sleeve 17, and it is prevented from longitudinal sleeve by the head of' the ignition sleeve and the flange of' the nipple 18. said fiange of the nipple clamping the ends of the frangible strips to the top of the bushing. surfaceof' the flange clamping the frangible strips is provided with a circular groove 20 which establishes communication between all of' the bores 10, and which also forms seats for the coil springs 21 which retain the tiring pins 14C on the bottom of the frangible strips. The flange of the nipple 18 has an aperture 22 which establishes communication between the circular groove 2O and the recess 2l for the fuse of the fuse ring 19. rl`he fuse ring '19 has an opening 23 which leads to a circular `groove 25 i'i the head of the sleeve 1T. A slot 26 011 the outer surface ot' the sleeve connects the groove with a chamber 2T in the bushing- 9, the chamber 2T being in conn'nunication with the interior of the shell 8.

The headed sleeve 17 carries a bushing 28, the bottom of which is provided with an opening` 29 establishing comn'iunication bctween said bushing and the chamber 27 ot' the bushing 9. A'f'rangible strip 30 is suspended in the bushing 28 from the top thereot'. The strip supports a firing pin 31, the ridges of which form the guides for the pin in the bushing 28. The frangible strip is clamped to the sleeve by a tip 33 which is secured to the bushing 28. The tip carries a priming cap 34 which is maintained by ,said tip normally in contact with the point of the firing pin 31.

WheK a shell, provided with a fuse as dedisplacement on the' The scribed. is fired 'rom a gun, the firing pins shell to explode. If for' any reasonthe shell ".f it did not explode then.

fuse in the fuse ring 19 on fire. The discharge of the shell from the gun will also cause the firing pin 31 to break the lfrangible 'strip supporting it and move against the bottom of the bushing28. The time fuse is set at a proper distance, which is determined by the displacement of the ring 19 relative to the opening 22 in the flange of the sleeve 18. Normally the opening 22 in the flange ismaintained under the bridgportion 35 of the fuse recess 24 in the fuse ring ofthe opening 22 from under the bridge 35 is prevented by a spring-actuated pin 36, provided in the fuse ring 19, engaging a recess in the flange ofi-the sleeve 17. An effort is required to displace the fuse ring 19 from its normal position. lVhen the fuse in the recess 24 is set on lire, the same will burn until it reaches the opening 23 in the fuse ring, when the lire is transferred by the circular groove 25 to the longitudinal groove 26 andthe chamber 27, causing the did not explode at the time set, or the shell has met with an obstacle, the impact of the shell meeting the obstacle, or when falling on to the ground will cause the firing point 32 to strike the priming 'cap 34, setting the chamber 27 on lire and thus causing the explosion of the shell.

From the above it will be seen that with my combination fuse, if the shell fails to explode at a proper Itime set, it will explode either if the shell meets an obstacle before the time fuse is to explode the shell or after, It may also be remarked that if the shell did not explode at the impact, it will explode when the burn-A ing fuse ring 19 reaches the opening 23.

While I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof. I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and v that such changes may b'e made as are .within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A shell fuse, comprising a bushing having a plurality of symmetrically-dis posed bores, a priming cap in each bore, a spring-impelled firing pin in each of said bores, a frangible strip spacing the firing pin from the cap in the bore, means clamping said rangible strips to the bushing, time-fuse carrying means associated with said clamping means and adjustable rela'tive thereto, said clamping means having means `for establishing communication between the fuse and the bores in the bushing, said frangible strips being adapted to rupture when the shell isdischarged, thus setting the fuse 19. An accidental displacement' frangible strip maintaining the pin a pre-,

determined distance from the bottom of the bushing, a tip clamping the strip to the bushing, and a priming cap carried by said tip and maintained thereby in close proximity to theliring-pn, said frangible strip being adapted to rupture when the shell is discharged, whereby vthe pin is moved against the bottom of the bushing, the impact of the shell causing said firing pin to strike theV priming cap whereby the shell is exploded.

3. In a shell fuse, abushing having a plurality of symmetrically-disposed bores, a firing cap in each bore, a spring-impelled firing pin-in each bore, afrangible strip in each of the bores spacing the pin from the cap, a flanged nipple secured to the bushing, the flange of said nipple clamping the strips to the bushing, a headed sleeve secured by said nipple to the bushing, a timefuse ring rotatably mounted on the sleeve having a circular groove registering with the opening'in the fuse ring and a longiltudinal groove on the sleeve extending from the circular groove in the head l'nto the bushing, said -rangible strips adapted to rupture at the discharge of the shell, whereby the fuse is ignited, a bushing secured to said sleeve and communicating with the nist-mentioned bushing, a firing pin in l said second bushing, a frangible strip spacing said pin from the bottom of the second bushing, a tip clamping the frangible strip to said bushing, and a priming cap carried vby said tip and maintained in close proximity tothe firing pin, said frangible strip adapted to rupture when the shell is discharged, Whereby the pin is brought against the bottom of the second-mentioned bushing, said pin adapted to fire the cap when the shell strikes an object.

y In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. EMIL A. CLAUS. Witnesses:

B. Jorrit,

`HELEN I. GORMAN. 

